The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-02-10

dered man--a knife bearing tie ini
tials OF my pamc.
The grand jury found an indict
Ineht against me, oud 1 was urraign
ed before the ciicnit court. sol,
my farm and employed able counsel
experienced lawyers, who did every.
thing they could for mo, but after q
tedious trial | was sentenced TO be
hanged. a moro miserable. utterl,
disconsola'e beiugsuever eat 10 q eel
waiting to be clicked TO dealh NJ,
preacher CAME aud prayed for me
but my miud was So distracted that
l could not fix it upon death. Out
preacher. very venerable old uun
particularly impressed me.
'Oh, Mr. Dobsou." sud he. "ask
Tho 9'Ser Of all good TO forgive your
slns OnIy few ioois days nov
and You Will stand at tho bar OF God.
Lei mo beseech you not to throw
youi time away. You have Gicnds
III heaven, pray for Tue glorious pri
viIege Of meeting them. 10 TO,
tbink Of the tortures uf death. bat
think of the divine life bo, md tie
grave
"isom not guilty, Mr. Gray"
"Oh, young man, do 10. hold ont
III ench obstiGocy. D. bot, beg Of
you' lmplore you do not perish with
II faltohood on your lips
II tell 10 faisohood when I vow
that | am innocent"
Nh. Debson, you nocd not hope
Tor executive clemoLcy. You arc yery
Young bat tho government has te.
fused to do anything in your beLali ."
what do you want. me to do Nr
Grayl"
"Ackno Wedge, yonr .c,ime and
pray God for paidou.n
u have committed uo,,crime"
Think of your perisbiug soul"
Il am iuuoceu,.'
Il see Mr. .Debsou, that it is use,
less to talk to you"
Yea, on that subject
"Rs'neuoer thai The day after to-
morrow you must dio.n
"Aii right"
"Good-by I hope the Lord may
change youramiDd."
When tho good man had gone |
muSed dnring along time over wha,
no had said yot thero occurred Ia
ne 40 thought Of regret that | Lad
so plainly spoken 10 him. 1here is
strange resignation that comes 10 n
man who Is condemed to die. Nea
~ nlghts OF contemplation dull his !
tread, take off the keen edge Of fear
1t In not Il philosophy; it is 4 "dou' !
care" which settles upou him. was
not afraid to meet the king of the
and knowing that not
shadow OF hope remained | surren-
Tered myself to au unjust fate.
| was not hanged; the governor Oh
'cconnt Of my youthfulness comuut-
"a my sentence to imprisonment for
lie Even this was indescribnbly
'wful; still. after thinking it over
Concluded that it was better tbau
'eing hanged.
shall never forget how felt
'lon frDt put on my suit Of stripes
The tLonght that | was entirely dis
raced took such deep root in nv
1ind that | doubt that if i wore Mt
he time any better morally than the
lost hardened convict within the
'alls l began to hate the world. TO
iock within myself the very idea OF
onesty and virtue. On Sundays we
ere compelled to listen to long
srmons by preachers not distin-
nished for eloquence. l sometimes
lought that, knowing that we could /
OF leave the Chapel, they took ,
ecular delight iu longthsning their 3
iscourses. One day AIR. GRAY
lme out, but he did not pay specia q
Ltention to me. This stung me d
nd as l sat on bench looking at i
lm-l won't say that VAS LISTEN q
lg to him-l hated the old man. l
night to have been ashamed of my n
Ill, bnt had forgotten the mean n
lg Of shame.
The uppermost thought 10 nov a
lind was the thought to escape / :
'st everything but my desire for i
oedom. My chance oams. Ono
lght while number OF us were h
snned in q "stockade" near q coal q
line, into whose dark vaults we
ere daily driven, l heard one of the n